To Be Loved
by Dawn-of-Destiny-87
Summary: Madison receives a heartbreaking letter from Nick. In an attempt to get her mind off of it, Xander takes her out on a date. But what happens when the date goes really well and Xander starts to have feelings for her...?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so this was inspired by two things: 1.) my recent fascination with the Xander/Madison pairing (but I'm still a HUGE Nick/Madison fan) and 2.) some experiences in my life that I needed to vent about. I hope everyone enjoys! Reviews - whether good or bad - are appreciated and constructive criticism is always welcome!

Disclaimer: Power Rangers Mystic Force belongs to Disney - not me!

Summary: Madison receives a heartbreaking letter from Nick. In an attempt to get her mind off of it, Xander takes her out on a date. But what happens when the date goes really well and Xander starts to have feelings for her…?

Chapter One

Madison sat on her bed wrapped up in the little red blanket that Nick had given her before he left. It had been over a year and the only form of communication they had established had been a letter every week or two. It wasn't much - and waiting on Nick's letters had made her a very stressed and anxious person - but for Madison it was good enough. Having the man she loved in her life this way was far better than not having him in her life at all. So she sat staring out the window, impatiently waiting on the mailman to drive up to the Rocca household and deliver their mail.

"Hey, sis!" Vida's voice rang as she flung open Madison's bedroom door and came inside. "Waiting on the mail again?"

"Yeah," Madison replied with a sigh. "I should be getting Nick's letter today. It's been almost two weeks!"

Vida stared down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her sister. She clearly wore a look of disapproval on her face. Madison quickly turned her attention back to the world outside.

"Don't say it, V." she warned.

"I don't need to."

And with that, the young woman in pink shook her head and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Madison never turned her gaze from her focus on the window. During the past few months, she and her sister had been fighting more and more. And in recent weeks Chip and Xander had become targets of her impatience and frustration. They all tried to talk to her but it went ignored and unappreciated. Madison had convinced herself that Nick was coming back for her and she was going to wait, no matter how long it took.

"Madison! The mailman is here!" the voice of her mother calling from downstairs snapped her back to reality. She had been so lost in thought that she didn't see or hear him pull into her driveway.

"Coming, mom!"

She threw the blanket off of her and ran downstairs. As soon as she was in the living room, her mother handed her a small, white envelope. Madison knew it was from Nick the moment she saw that the sending and return addresses were written in red ink. For the first time in weeks, a smile crossed her face and she quickly ran back upstairs to read her letter in the safety of her room.

* * *

_Maddie,_

_Hey! How are you? I'm sorry it took me so long to write you back. I've just been busy. How are Xander, Chip, and Vida? Good, I hope. Tell them I say hey! Listen, Maddie…I've got something that I really need to talk to you about. I met someone._

Madison took a deep breath. Her heart began to race and a sick feeling rose in the pit of her stomach. Nick had…met someone?

_Her name is Julie. She's a lot like you - kind, compassionate, and beautiful both inside and out. When I first met her, I didn't think of her as anything more than a friend. But then as time went on, I've come to find that I like her more than that._

Against her will, tears began to form in the corners of Madison's eyes. "No, no…" she whispered to herself. How could he do this to her? All the time she had been faithfully waiting on him, he had been out with someone else?

_But I don't know what to do. I really like you, Maddie, and I don't want to hurt you. But I also like Julie. Things would be much less complicated if I could just…I don't know. Just please Maddie, tell me what to do. Because I don't know anymore._

"Come back!" she yelled desperately at the letter, as if Nick could hear her through the paper. "That's what you can do, Nick! Come back to Briarwood and be with **me**!" But she knew she couldn't really ask him to do that. It would be selfish and unfair. She didn't know what to do right then, but nothing good could come from finishing Nick's letter. So she threw it on her bed beside of the red blanket she had so desperately clung to and ran out the door. On the way down the stairs she passed Vida, who was walking up them.

"Madison?" she questioned worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, V, just leave me alone." she cried softly and quickly made her way outside the house.

But Vida wouldn't just leave her alone. Madison was her sister and even though they hadn't exactly been getting along lately, she still loved her and cared for her very much. So she ran into Madison's room to see exactly what could have been the cause of her outburst…and she didn't like what she found.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to all the people who reviewed the first chapter, on and off Spencer, rytanya, LilacSummer, anyabar1987, traci26, littlewhitelie91, lunafan - you guys are my motivation to keep writing and update as soon as I possibly can. I love you! Please keep reviewing!

Disclaimer: Power Rangers Mystic Force belongs to Disney - not me!

Summary: Madison receives a heartbreaking letter from Nick. In an attempt to get her mind off of it, Xander takes her out on a date. But what happens when the date goes really well and Xander starts to have feelings for her…?

Chapter Two

"This can't be right." protested Chip as he stared intently at the piece of paper held in his hands. His eyes ran over and over the red penmanship as if trying to find some secret, hidden message.

"Well, is it." snapped Vida.

Xander sat quietly behind the Rock Porium counter with his head resting on his folded hands. As Chip was reading Nick's letter aloud he couldn't believe what he was hearing. It really wasn't like Nick to be this cold, but then again a lot of things - and people - had changed since he left. Madison in particular. The bright smile that used to light up her face had faded into a permanent frown. Her personality - once passionate and full of life - had slowly degenerated into an impatient, stressful mess. More and more he found himself missing the old Madison. So he decided to do something about it.

"I'm going to take her out tonight." he said decidedly.

After a long, awkward pause Vida was the first one to speak. "By 'her' I hope you mean some girl you met while working here. Because if you're talking about Madison, I don't think--"

Xander interrupted her, saying, "don't worry, V. It's not like I'm asking her to be my girlfriend or anything. I just want to do something to cheer her up. You know, get her mind off of this whole 'Nick' thing."

Chip nodded enthusiastically. "I think it's a great idea!"

It seemed as though Vida had no choice but to agree. As much as she hated to admit it, Xander could be charming when he wanted to be…and she was desperate to get her sister back to being her old self again. "Okay, Xander, I'll go along with this. But if you hurt her then _I_ will hurt _you_. Got it?"

He smiled and looked at her skeptically. "You know me better than that! Now I'm off to find Madison. Cover my shift for me, mate?"

Chip mock saluted him. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Xander flashed him a grateful smile and headed out the door. Vida watched after him, her arms crossed firmly in front of her chest. "I hope this works…"

* * *

After walking around for about an hour, Madison got tired and decided to take a rest. She made her way to the spot where she and Nick had first met and sat down, leaning her back against a large tree. Memories of their first conversation came flooding through her mind. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

Xander stood watching from across the street, waiting for the right moment to approach his friend. Now, he decided, was as good a time as any. But as he began to walk over to her, Madison did something he had never seen before - she placed her head into her hands and began to cry.

"Maddie…" he whispered sadly to himself.

He quickened his pace and in no time was standing beside her at the tree. His presence went unnoticed at first but he quickly changed that by audibly clearing his throat.

"Mind if I join you?"

Madison immediately recognized who her visitor was by his thick Australian accent. She refused to look at him for fear of him seeing her crying. So instead she scooted over and made room for him to sit down beside her. Which he did.

"What do you want, Xander?" Madison asked quietly, still looking in the opposite direction.

"I was just, uh, wondering if you were doing anything tonight." he said.

"You mean besides eating an entire bucket of mint chocolate chip ice cream and watching sappy movies?" she asked with a small laugh and finally turned to face him.

He grinned widely and nodded. "Yeah, besides that."

She raised her eyebrows. "Nothing. Why?"

"Because," Xander began, trying to think of a way to ask her without freaking her out or giving her the wrong idea. "I was hoping that you would go out with me tonight."

Madison's eyes widened in shock. "You-You mean like…on a date?"

"Yeah! I just figured that after what happened with Nick, it wouldn't hurt to get out of the house and enjoy yourself, you know? And - let's face it - you really couldn't find a better guy to do that with than me." he joked with a laugh.

But Madison didn't think it was funny. "You read the letter, didn't you?"

Xander sighed. "Yeah. Vida brought it to Chip and I a little over an hour ago. I'm sorry, Maddie."

She thought for a moment. If Nick was going to go out with another girl, then why couldn't she go out with another guy? True, it was Xander, and she really didn't feel anything more for him than friendship. But still…she didn't need to lock herself up in her room with a bucket of ice cream and sad movies like she had originally planned on doing.

"What time are you going to pick me up?" she asked shyly, biting her lower lip.

The question took Xander a bit by surprise, as did Madison's sudden shyness. But he shrugged it off and replied, "is 7:30 okay with you?"

She stood up and brushed off the dirt from her jeans. Xander followed her lead and stood in front of her, waiting for an answer. She confirmed with a nod and a smile. To avoid the awkward silence that was sure to come, Madison turned and began walking in the direction of her house, her arms folded protectively in front of her chest as a shield from the cool wind that had just begun to blow. Xander watched her walk away with a thoughtful look on his face. 'This will be the best date she's ever had.' he decided and then began walking in the opposite direction back to the Rock Porium.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, thank you SO MUCH to all my reviewers: Rytanya, LilacSummer, anyabar1987, traci26, littlewhitelie91, lunafan, princess moon shadow, Veronica Moose, Jasmin63, and Thalia-Sandy. You guys are beyond awesome! I love you!

Disclaimer: Power Rangers Mystic Force belongs to Disney - not me! And the song "Breathe" belongs to Greenwheel - not me!

Summary: Madison receives a heartbreaking letter from Nick. In an attempt to get her mind off of it, Xander takes her out on a date. But what happens when the date goes really well and Xander starts to have feelings for her…?

Chapter Three

When Madison answered the door, Xander's breath caught in his throat.

"Wow, Maddie, you look great!" he exclaimed, knowing that the word 'great' was an understatement. She was wearing a long white loose-fitted skirt, light blue top, and black knee-high boots. Her dark hair was pulled back in the front and the rest fell about her shoulders and back. On her face was a slight bit of makeup but nothing too drastic, seeing as how Madison didn't like to wear a lot of it.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He glanced down at his clothes. Dark jeans, a green button-up shirt covering a white tee, and white sneakers. Smiling, he offered his arm out to his date. "You ready?"

Madison took it and exited her house, gently shutting the door behind her. They began walking arm-in-arm down the dimly lit street.

"So…where are we going?" Madison asked after a long silence.

"You'll see."

* * *

Xander took his hands away from Madison's eyes to reveal one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She was standing by the lake in the park in front of a candlelit picnic.

"Oh my…" she trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Xander took her by the hand and led her over to the large blanket that was spread out on the ground. She sat down carefully so as not to knock over the tall candle holders that were set up in the middle of it.

"You hungry?" Xander asked.

Madison shook her head. "Not really."

Xander looked sympathetically across the blanket at her but she avoided his gaze, focusing instead on the moon hanging in the sky above them. It was at that moment that he felt something he had never felt before. The intensity he saw in Madison's stare - combined with the flickering candlelight and glow of the moon - made him weak in the knees and sent his heart racing.

"Yeah…me neither." he said slowly as if he was just realizing something for the first time.

Madison looked back at him, a smile forming at the corner of her lips. He returned her smile and pushed himself up off the ground, taking out his morpher as he did so.

"What are you doing?"

Wordlessly, he pointed it at a nearby small boom box that Madison had failed to notice before. An array of green sparks shot towards it. Xander was definitely full of surprises tonight.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, extending his hand down towards her.

She violently shook her head. "No, Xander! There are people over there and…well…I can't dance!"

He looked across the lake where an older couple were taking a walk. "They're not gonna care! And _everyone_ can dance. I'll prove it to you."

Madison reluctantly took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He placed his arms behind her back and she rested hers behind his neck. A soft guitar chord echoed from the speakers of the boom box and led the way into a soft, bittersweet song.

_I played the fool today _

_And I can see us vanishing into the crowd _

_Longing for home again _

_But home _

_Is a feeling I buried in you_

Xander examined the distance between Madison and himself. It wasn't much - just a couple of steps. Still…he found that he wanted to be as close to her as he possibly could. The feeling confused him, frightened him even. But he decided to give in to it. In one swift move he stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Madison's petite waist. Her body immediately relaxed against his and she found herself hugging his neck as tightly as he was holding her.

_I'm all right, I'm all right _

_It only hurts when I breathe_

The lyrics to the song were sinking in for Madison. She honestly had been played for a fool…and her heart was aching with each breath she took. Nick had hurt her so badly. And what made it worse was the fact that he was the first guy she had ever had serious feelings for. Would she ever allow herself to get close to anyone else? Or would she just crawl back into the shell that she had been hiding in before Nick came into her life?

_And I can't ask for things to be still again _

_No, I can't ask for you _

_To offer the world through your eyes _

_Longing for home again _

_But home _

_Is a feeling I buried in you_

Xander could feel Madison's body become tense under his arms.

"…Maddie?" he whispered.

The only response he got was a loud sniffle followed by a soft whimpering sound. Xander closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. Madison was crying.

_I'm all right, I'm all right _

_It only hurts when I breathe _

_I'm all right, I'm all right _

_It only hurts when I breathe_

Normally Madison didn't like to show her emotions in front of people - especially when they were accompanied by actions such as this. But right now she didn't care.

"Maddie?" Xander repeated, his voice stronger and full of concern.

"I'm sorry." she said, her voice barely audible above the music in the background.

Xander stopped their dance and took a step back so that he was looking directly into Madison's dark brown, tear-dimmed eyes. He opened his mouth to say that she shouldn't be apologizing for anything but every word, every thought had suddenly completely evacuated his mind. The feeling he had before when looking at her from across the picnic blanket came rushing back to him full-force. For the first time in his life…Xander didn't have any idea what to say. But the look in his eyes spoke volumes to Madison. No words were necessary. She threw her arms around him and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Xander wrapped his arms securely around her and proceeded to gently stroke her hair as she broke down.

_My window through which nothing hides _

_And everything sings _

_I'm counting the signs _

_And cursing the miles in between _

_I'm all right, I'm all right _

_It only hurts when I breathe _

_I'm all right, I'm all right _

_It only hurts when I breathe_

They stood there for what felt like an eternity. Madison had gotten it all out, crying until her head throbbed with pain and her voice was almost entirely gone.

"You want me to walk you home, Maddie?" Xander asked softly.

She nodded and smiled gratefully in response. He packed up his stuff and set it aside to come back and get later. Then he took off his jacket and draped it around Madison's shoulders, in which fashion they made their way back down the street. It didn't take long to reach her house. Xander walked her to her door and they stood in front of it, a comfortable silence settling between them.

"I'm sorry for ruining our date." Madison apologized, her voice weak and hoarse.

"You didn't." Xander said sincerely.

If he was on a date with any other girl, this would have been the part where Xander leaned in for a kiss. But this wasn't any other girl. This was Madison Rocca. He had known her and been best friends with her for as long as he could remember. And never before had he wanted to kiss her. Then again, never before had he been weak-kneed and had his heart race while looking at her. So…what changed? When Xander asked Madison out on this date, he never dreamed it would go this far. He never meant to fall--

"Xander?"

Madison's weak voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." he said. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then?"

She stepped forward and pulled him into a warm hug. "Thanks," she whispered. "for everything."

Xander sighed contently. "What are friends for?"

They pulled apart and - after one final glance - Madison made her way into the living room of her home. Xander stood for a moment, an unreadable expression covering his face. Then he slowly turned and began walking back in the direction of the park to pick up the stuff he had left behind.


End file.
